Shoe and the manufacture thereof



y 1937. o. c. ADAMS SHOE AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Feb. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 25, 1937.

o. c. ADAMS 2,081,211

SHOE AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Feb. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 25, 1937 UITED STATES PATENT oFF iee SHOE AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Application February 27, 1936, Serial no. 66,073

22 Claims.

This invention relates to shoes and the manufacture thereof and is illustrated herein-with reference to improvements in methods of making shoes having flexible sole portions.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved method of' making insoles for shoes having flexible foreparts, to provide an improved flexible insole, and to provide an improved method of making flexible shoes.

To the attainment of these objects and in accordance with one aspect of the invention a relatively thin insole is provided on its outer surface with a lasting rib which is thinner and more flexible at one portion of the insole than at other portions thereof. As herein illustrated, the lasting rib is formed integrally with the insole by forming inside and outside channels in its outer surface to provide channel flaps which forin the rib. A portion of one of the channel flaps is removed and the remaining portion of this flap and the other flap are secured together to form a lasting rib which will comprise two plies of material at all portions except where part of the flap was removed, which portion will, of course, be more flexible than other portions of the insole. v V

Preferably, and as illustrated herein, a portion of the outside channel flap is removed to increase the flexibility of the insole although substantially the same flexibility of the rib could be obtained by removing a portion of the inside flap instead of the outside flap. Inasmuchas flexibilityin most shoes is desired at the ball portion, portions of the outside flap are removed at both sides of the insole at least at the ball portion although portions of this flap extending beyond the ball portion may be removed if greater flexibility is required at other parts of the shoe bottom. I

After the lasting rib is formed the outer surface of the insole is preferably reinforced with fabric material which, as-illustrated, extends into the inside channel and covers at least the inner 4 side of the rib, thereby strengtheningthe rib and eliminating the danger of its being torn away from the body of the insole at its weaker portions, especially in places where the between substance between the channels is relatively thin a and Where the shoe upper is secured in lasted relation to, the insole by stitches which pass through this between substance.

In order further to increase the flexibility of the shoe the present invention also provides for of the insole, said incisions severing the reinforcing material on the insole and passing through at least the upper portions of the rib at said ball portion. The incisions may be formed in the rib during the channeling operation so that the reinforcing material which may be later applied will not be out at the rib or the incisions may be made in the body of the insole and in the rib after the latter have been reinforced so that they will pass through the reinforcing material on the rib.

In making a shoe the shoe upper may be worked over the edge of the insole in the usual manner and secured to the lasting rib preferably by stitches. The excess portions of the upper may then be trimmed substantially flush with the top edge of the rib and the thin flexible portion of the rib formed by the inside channel flap at the ball portion of the shoe may be laid back into its channel. In this way the rigidity of this portion of the rib against lengthwise flexing is practically eliminated and the ball portion of the shoe bottom is leveled to such an extent that very little filler material will be required before an outsole is applied. The incisions in the rib in addition to increasing its flexibility at the ball portion of the shoe also facilitate laying the rib back into its channel.

In its article aspect the invention provides an improved insole having a single ply rib at its ball portion and a two-ply rib forwardly and rear- Wardly of such portion, the single ply rib being formed by an inside channel flap so that after upper materials are secured thereto the rib may be laid back into its channel to increase the flexibility of this portion of the shoe bottom and to level it for receiving an outsole. The insole may be reinforced, for example, with fabric material which covers at least a portion of the rib. The ball portion of the insole may be rendered more flexible by transverse incisions which sever the reinforcing material and pass through at least .a portion of the single ply rib, thereby further increasing the flexibility of the rib so that it may be readily laid back into its channel.

The invention further consists in various other improvements in the art of shoemaking and. various other features of shoe and insole construction hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the claims.

' In the drawings, 7

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an insole embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the insole on an enlarged scale taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing the insole mounted on a last and a shoe upper and welt secured in lasted relation to the insole, the section being taken through the ball portion of the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale showing an outsole attached to the shoe;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 5, through the shank portion of the shoe;

Fig. 'l is a plan view illustrating a different type of insole;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the insole on an enlarged scale taken on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view showing the insole of Figs. 7 and 8 incorporated in a shoe.

The invention is disclosed herein with reference to the manufacture of welt shoes but it should be understood that it is not limited to shoes of that particular type and may be employed with equal advantages in the manufacture of shoes having their outsoles attached, for example, by cement or by through-and-through stitches.

In practicing the method of the invention a relatively thin insole it of leather or a substitute therefor is channeled at the marginal portion of its outer or flesh surface in any known or usual manner to provide an outside channel flap l2 and an inside channel flap I4, the channels extending completely around the toe end of the insole and rearwardly substantially to the heel breast line. In accordance with one manner of practicing the method the channel flaps I2 and M are turned up and cemented together to form a two-ply lasting rib, as shown in Fig. 2, and the outer or channeled surface of the insole is then reinforced With a sheet of fabric material I6 such as canvas or duck which covers the surface of the insole extending between opposite portions of the rib and also covers the inner side of the rib.

The ball portion of the insole H1 is now rendered flexible by a series of parallel slashes or incisions l8 which extend transversely of said ball portion for at least half its width and are preferably staggered so that adjacent incisions overlap. The incisions cut through the upper portions of those sections of the rib which are located opposite the ball portion of the insole, as shown at l5 in Fig. 1. If desired, the incisions l8 may be made after the channel flaps l2, id have been secured together to form the lasting rib but before the reinforcing material l6 has been applied, so that the upper parts of the rib at the ball portion of the insole will be severed or slashed heightwise but the reinforcing material 16 on their inner sides Will not be out. If the slashes are made in the insole before the reinforcing material is applied it will be necessary, after the reinforcing material has been applied, to form transverse cuts or incisions in the reinforcing material, corresponding to those formed in the body portion of the insole before the reinforcing material was applied.

After the insole has been rendered flexible,

as described above, the outer ply [2 of the twoply lasting rib, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, is removed at the ball portion of the insole to leave the single ply (4 reinforced on its inner side by the fabric material I6, as shown in Fig. 3. By removing the outer ply of the rib at the ball portion of the insole, the rigidity of the rib to widthwise and lengthwise flexing is greatly reduced so that the single ply M can be easily laid back into its channel thereby still further increasing the flexibility of the ball portion of the insole and, in the construction of a shoe, leveling this portion of the shoe bottom to such an extent that very little filler material will be required before an outsole is applied. If it is more convenient the outer ply of the rib at the ball portion of the insole may be removed after the channels are cut but before the flaps are turned up to form the rib or, as another alternative, the channels may be cut, the insole and inner flap reinforced with fabric material and slashed transversely at the ball portion, and the outer flap may then be removed and the remaining portions of the flaps turned up to form the lasting rib. In other words, the exact order in which these operations are performed is immaterial since the same results are obtained by each method. Fig. 3 shows how the ball portion of the insole will appear after the outside section or ply l2 of the lasting rib has been removed. The sections of the rib forwardly and rearwardly of the ball portion of the insole will, of course, remain in a substantially upstanding position and will tend to resist being laid down against the surface of the insole in either direction, thereby affording a strong rib to which a shoe upper may be attached to secure it in lasted relation to the insole at these portions of a shoe bottom.

In constructing a shoe, the insole I0 is mounted on a last 20 (Fig. 4) and a shoe upper 22, herein illustrated as comprising an outer layer and a lining, and, in a welt shoe, a welt 24, are secured to the lasting rib in the usual manner by inseam stitches 26. Fig. 4 is a section through the ball portion of the insole. and accordingly only the single ply M of the rib appears, this ply being reinforced on its inner side by the fabric material I 6. At the toe and shank portions of the shoe bottom the shoe upper and welt are secured to the two-ply rib by stitches in the usual manner. The upper materials are next trimmed, as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 4, the excess portions of the upper and, if necessary, the welt being out off substantially flush with the top edge of the single ply M of the lasting rib,

The shoe is now ready to receive an outsole and, accordingly, the single ply M of the lasting rib at the ball portion of the shoe bottom is laid back into its channel as closely as the reinforcing fabric material will permit, as shown in Fig. 5, to level this portion of the shoe bottom before the outsole is attached. If necessary, a thin layer of filler material 28 may be applied to the shoe bottom to fill in whatever slight depression may be caused by the inner edges of the upper materials 22 after the rib is laid back into its channel. The filler material required, however, will be much less than that usually required at the ball portion of a shoe bottom in cases where the. lasting rib cannot be laid back into a channel in the insole. At the shank portion of the shoe the twoply rib is not laid back in the inside channel but remains in a more nearly upstanding position, as shown in Fig. 6, and thus provides space for a usual shank piece or stiffener 29. An outsole 30 is now laid in the usual manner on the shoe bottom and permanently attached thereto, in the present case the upper being attached to the welt 24 by stitches 32, thereby completing the construction of the flexible welt shoe except for the customary finishing operations.

Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, illustrate a somewhat different construction in which a relatively thin insole 34 is provided on its outer surface with an inside channel 36 and a channel flap 38, and with an outside shoulder 4|]. The shoulder 40 may be formed by channeling in from the. edge face of the insole a distance substantially equal to the lasting allowance of a shoe upper and,'preferably by the same operation, removing the channel flap thus formed. The inside channel flap 33 forms a single ply rib to which the shoe upper may be secured to hold it in lasted relation to the insole and the shoulder 49 provides an abutment against which the upper materials may be wiped into upstanding position during the lasting operation. The between substance separating the adjacent edges of the inside and outside channels is preferably somewhat less in width than is ordinarily provided on insoles of this type, this material being only about one-sixteenth of an inch thick, thereby increasing the flexibility of the insole and facilitating the lasting operation as will presently appear.

The outer face of the insole is reinforced inside the lasting rib 38 in the usual manner with fabric material 42 such as duck or canvas, this material, as shown in Fig. 8, extending into the inside channel 35 and covering the inner side of the rib 3B. The ball portion of the insole, 'as shown in Fig. 7, is next cut transversely by a series of parallel incisions 44 which, in the present case, extend across the full width of the material of the insole between the opposite portions of the rib, thereby substantiallyincreasing the flexibility of the ball portion of the insole. These incisions cut through the fabric reinforcing material 42 and extend into the body of the insole a distance approximately equal to the depth of the channel 35, the opposite ends of the cuts or incisions passing through a portio-nof the sections of the rib 38 located at opposite sides of the ball portion of the insole. As explained above, if desired, the

forcing material on the body portion of the insole corresponding to those already formed in said body portion but no incisions being made in the fabric material reinforcing the inner side of the rib, thereby causing the rib to be strengthened without decreasing its flexibility any appreciable amount.

The insole 34 is mounted on a last 46 and a multi-ply shoe upper 48 and, in a welt shoe, a welt are secured to the single ply lasting rib 38 by inseam stitches 52, the upper being worked in against the shoulder 49 and the stitches passing easily through the relatively thin between substance separating the adjacent edges of the channels and being prevented from breaking through the between substance by the fabric material reinforcing the channel and rib. The excess portions of the upper materials and welt are then trimmed substantially flush with the top edge of the lasting rib and the latter is pressed back as closely as possible into its channel 36 at least at the ball portion of the insole, thereby preventing the rib and the materials attached thereto from reducing the flexibility of this portion of the shoe bottom as they would do if they were located in an upstanding position. By returning the rib into its channel the forepart of a shoe bottom is also leveled to such an extent that a very thin layer of filler material 54 will usually be sufficient to prepare the forepart of the shoe bottom for the attachment of an outsole. A usual shank piece or stiffener (not shown) may be applied to the shank portion of the shoe bottom between opposite upstanding portions of the rib 38 and an outsole 56 may be attached to the Welt 50 by outseam stitches 58, as shown in Fig. 9, thereby completing the construction of the shoe.

The feature of shoes of the type disclosed herein which renders the shoe flexible at its ball portion is primarily the provision of a lasting rib comprising only a single ply of material at least at the ball portion, said rib being formed by an inside channel so that after the shoe upper is secured in lasted relation thereto or to the between substance at the base of the rib, the

latter can be "readily laid back into its channel to reduce the rigidity of the insole to lengthwise flexing and to level this portion of the shoe bottom to such an extent that very little filler material will be required beforethe outsole is applied. The flexing of the ball portion of the insole and portions of the single p-ly rib adjacent to such portion by transverse incisions also tends to increase the flexibility of the shoe at the ball portion.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

'1. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises forming inside and outside channelflaps on the outer surface of an insole, removing a portion of one flap forwardly of the shank portion of the insole to increase the flexibility of the insole, and turning up the remaining portion of said flap and the other flap and securing them together to form a lasting rib.

' 2. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises forming inside and outside channel flaps on the outer surface of an insole, removing one flap at the ball portion of the insole, and turning up the remaining portion of said flap and the other flap to form a lasting rib having only one thickness of material at the ball portion of the insole and having two thicknesses forwardly and rearwardly of said ball portion.

3. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises cutting inside and outside channels in the outer surface of an insole to form channel flaps, removing portions of the outer flap at opposite sides of the forepart of the insole to increase its flexibility, and turning up the inner flap and the remaining portions of the outer flap and securing them together to form a lasting rib.

4. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises forming inside and outside channel flaps on the outer surface of an insole, removing the outside flap at the ball portion of the insole, and turning up the inside flap and the remaining portion of the outside flap and securing them together to form. a lasting rib.

5. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises cutting a channel on the outer surface of an insole to form a channel flap, removing the ball portion of said flap to render the insole flexible, turning up the remaining portion of the flap to form a lasting rib, and reinforcing the inner side of said lasting rib.

6. That'improvement in methods ofmaking insoles which comprises forming a lasting rib on the outer surface of an insole, removing sections of the rib at the ball portion of the insole to render said portion flexible, and cutting incisions transversely of the insole to increase the flexibility thereof.

7. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises channeling the outer surface of an insole to form a two-ply lasting rib, removing one ply of the rib at the ball portion of the insole to increase the flexibility of said portion, and reinforcing the outer surface of the insole and the remaining portion of the rib with fabric material.

8. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises forming inside and outside channel fla-ps on the outer surface of an insole, removing sections of the outer flap at the ball portion of the insole, turning up the flaps and securing them together to form a lasting rib, reinforcing the said outer surface and the inner flap of the rib with fabric material, and cutting a series of transverse incisions in the ball portion of said outer surface to render the insole flexible.

9. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises forming inside and outside channels on the outer surface of an insole to form channel flaps, removing portions of the outside flap at the ball portion of the insole, cutting transverse incisions in the ball portion of said outer surface to increase the flexibility of the insole, said incisions severing portions of the inside channel flap located at said ball portion, turning up the channel flaps and securing them together to form a lasting rib, reinforcing said outer surface and the inner side of said rib with fabric material, and cutting transverse incisions in the fabric material corresponding to those in the insole.

10. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises cutting inside and outside channels in the marginal portions of the outer surface of an insole to form channel flaps, removing the outside flap to form a shoulder, turning up the inside flap to form a lasting rib, reinforcing said outer surface between opposite portions of the rib with fabric material which extends into the inside channel and covers the inner side of the rib, and cutting transverse incisions in the ball portion of said outer surface to render said portion flexible, said incisions severing at least the upper portions of the reinforced rib and extending into the insole for a distance substantially equal to the depth of the inside channel.

11. An insole having a single ply lasting rib at its ball portion and a two-ply rib forwardly and rearwardly of said ball portion.

12.. An insole having a lasting rib on its outer surface comprising inner and outer plies of material at the shank and toe portions of the insole and an inner ply only at the ball portion thereof.

13. An insole having an integral lasting rib on its flesh side comprising inside and outside channel flaps at the shank portion of the insole and around its toe end rearwardly to the tip line, and an inside channel flap only from said tip line to the ball line of the insole.

14. An insole having a lasting rib on its outer surface comprising a single channel flap at the ball portion of the insole and two channel flaps secured together at the toe end and shank portion of the insole, said rib being reinforced with fabric material.

15. An insole having a single rib at its ball portion and a two-ply rib at its toe and shank portions, said single rib having slits therein extending heightwise of the rib to increase its flexibility.

16. An insole having a rib on its outer surface comprising two plies of material at the shank portion of the insole, a single ply of material at the ball portion thereof, and two plies of material forwardly of said ball portion, the ball portion of the insole being slit transversely to increase its flexibility and the slits extending part way through the single ply rib at said ball portion.

1'7. An insole having a lasting rib on its outer surface comprising a single ply of material at the ball portion of the insole and two plies of material at the toe and shank portions thereof, said outer surface and the inner side of said lasting rib being reinforced with fabric material, and said outer surface being slit transversely by parallel incisions which extend through a portion of the reinforced single-ply rib at the ball portion of the insole, thereby increasing the flexibility of said ball portion.

18. An insole having an integral lasting rib on its outer surface comprising outside and inside channel flaps at the toe and shank portions of the insole and an inside channel flap only at the ball portion thereof, fabric material reinforcing the outer surface of the insole and the inner side of said lasting rib, and incisions extending transversely of the ball portion of the insole and part way through the reinforced single rib at said ball portion.

19. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing an insole having inside and outside channel flaps on its outer surface, one of said flaps being removed at the ball portion of the insole and the remaining portion of said flap being turned up and secured to the other flap to form a lasting rib comprising two plies of material at the toe and shank portions of the insole and only one ply at its ball portion, securing a shoe upper to said rib to hold it in lasted relation to the insole, and laying the single ply rib back into its channel at the ball portion of the insole, thereby increasing the flexibility of the shoe.

20. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing an insole having a lasting rib which is thinner at the ball portion of the insole than at its too and shank portions and having a channel adjacent to the rib, securing a shoe upper in lasted relation to said rib, trimming the upper substantially flush with the top edge of the rib, and laying the thin portion of the rib at the ball portion of the insole back into the channel, thereby increasing the flexibility of the shoe and leveling said ball portion for receiving an outsole.

21. That improvement in methods of making insoles which comprises channeling the outer surface of an insole to form inner and outer flaps, removing at least a portion of the outer flap to render the insole flexible, turning up the remaining portions of the flaps to form a lasting rib, reinforcing said outer surface and the inner side of the rib with fabric material, cutting incisions transversely of the ball portion of said reinforced surface to increase the flexibility of the insole, said incisions passing through the upper portions of opposite sections of the lasting rib.

22. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises providing an insole having inside and outside channels in its outer surface forming inner and outer channel flaps, the outer flap being removed at the ball portion of the insole, said insole also having transverse incisions in its ball portion to increase its flexibility, said incisions severing adjacent portions of the inner flap and said flaps being secured together in upstanding relation to provide a twoply rib at the toe and shank portions of the insole and .a single ply rib at the ball portion, the

10 outer surface of the insole and the inner side of the rib being reinforced with fabric material which has transverse incisions cut therein corresponding to those in the body of the insole, securing a shoe upper to the rib to hold the upper in lasted relation to the insole, and laying the single ply rib with the upper attached thereto back into its channel at the ball portion of the shoe bottom to increase the fiexibilitymf said portion.

OSCAR C. ADAMS. 

